The subject matter described herein relates to manufacturing techniques and more particularly to techniques to form a T-shaped or I-shaped composite structure which includes an air gap in a region which would normally contain a radius filler.
Composite structures are used in various manufacturing and construction operations. By way of example, various structural components of aircraft may be formed form composite materials. Composite materials which are incorporated into structures that form a T-shaped or I-shaped cross section, e.g., beams or flanges, typically form a fillet at the intersection of the structures. In conventional manufacturing techniques these fillets are filled with a compound commonly referred to as a radius filler. In some circumstances the use of radius fillers creates structural issues in completed parts.
Accordingly, composite structures and methods to make the same may find utility, e.g., in the construction of vehicles such as aircraft or watercraft.